Release
by On Permanent Hiatus
Summary: Her world came crashing down around her. No one understood. Who could possibly understand what she was going through? She needed to find... a release. KibaHina, some NaruSaku. COMPLETED.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **I know I should be working on "Like Ramen," but the inspiration for this came to me, so I had to share it with all of you, so I hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** I don't think Naruto even owns himself

Hinata stood in the brush, trembling, her knuckles turning white as her flesh pressed into the bush. She could still feel thorns in her hands days after, a phantom pain. What was it about that day? Why did she follow him? She didn't know, she didn't know. Her stomach twisted in knots at the thought; even a few years later it made her want to vomit.

"Naru…" Her voice a choked tremor between gulps of air. "Naru…" That word, that name––– what was it? Suddenly the magic was lost; suddenly someone flipped a switch and revealed the man behind the curtain. "Naru…" Suddenly, something died in Hinata. "Naruto-kun!"

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"Hinata-sama…"

"Neji-nii, I'm sure you'll make a good leader now." She turned away with a shaky smile that threatened to collapse her entire demeanor.

"Hinata-sama," the dark-haired boy insisted, catching the girl by the arm. "The funeral––– Are you going to that?" He paused, frowning seriously, even more seriously than Hinata thought necessary.

"The funeral," he began again. "At least you're going to attend that?" Hinata's breath was let out in a shuddering sigh as she stiffened.

"The cremation," she corrected quietly. "No–––I'm not going." Her breathing became shallow, but she fought for control. Air, air… How long must she hold this smile? He wouldn't let her go–– he knew. He _knew_.

"You shouldn't have called me 'leader,'" Neji whispered, furtively glancing to the side. His grip on her arm tightened as he dropped his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "That could get ruin everything, understand?"

"Yes, Neji-nii." He let go of her arm.

"Good." Already his countenance relaxed, even brightened. "_Good_."

He was talking about the underground alliance, she knew. The Branch House members of the Hyuuga family had suffered for countless generations under the curse of the mark upon their foreheads. Yet it was known that this curse, this constant fear had given birth to a bizarre, twisted strength; children under the Branch House were developing their Byakugan skills faster than their Main House cousins. Naturally, this worried the Main House families, specifically the Elders who feared for their lives. What if the rebellious nature of Neji inspired a spark in his relatives–– what then? What good was a cursed mark if you are dead before you could use it? Surely the Main House could not kill every one of them; no, a lesson had been learned from the massacre of the Hyuugas' distant cousins, the Uchihas. Thus, several Main House members agreed that come the death of Hyuuga Hiashi, the current leader, an alliance would secretly be formed with the Branch House and Hyuuga Neji.

Hinata, next in line to the Hyuuga throne, would still take her rightful place. Although the skill of her sister Hanabi was far greater, she was neither next in line nor at a proper age to lead. Indeed, she would also never be counted on to comply with such an alliance in the first place; she was a daddy's girl in every sense of the word.

At any rate, it would truly be Neji who ruled, Hinata being a sort of figurehead before she married, in which case her husband would lead the clan (a Branch House and Main House marriage was out of the question–– it would raise far too much alarm in those who would still strictly follow the old ways of living) That was the plan, but too soon did the Elders find they needed to put it into practice. Hiashi's sudden death left a firm tension between the two houses as the Branch House was now suspected of possible poison. That's where Hinata found herself now; a puppet standing before the puppeteer, expected to soothe these anxieties before anything went wrong. He still wouldn't let her walk away.

"He was your father, Hinata-sama." The title was formal and dry; Hinata detested that sort of formality. "You should at least go to pay your respects."

"I'll be in my room if you need me, Neji-nii," the girl answered, her murmur tired and worn. At least she no longer stuttered.

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For the next week Hinata wore black, _all_ black. Too much even by ninja standards. It didn't matter. She wouldn't speak to anyone, even her team; it was as if she had traveled back four years ago to around her first Chuunin Exam. She avoided people altogether for the most part when she could, especially Neji. People assumed she was grieving. After that week ended, she was.

Hinata turned over and held the blankets tightly over her face. At last the maid sighed and left with the tray of untouched food. Hinata's stomach growled harshly at her, but she did not listen. She was cold. Her memory betrayed her, playing the scene over and over again in her head, making it hard to eat anything. Over and over… Hinata bit her lip, hard, then squeaked in pain. She couldn't get a hold of herself. She slowly brought out a pale, shaky hand and slapped herself across the face. She trembled. And that was when, at last, she began to cry.

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"Yeah, it's nice to be back." Empty words that were merely a prelude, a pointless obstacle in the face of why they were all gathered in that place. She couldn't watch. She mustn't watch.

"I heard you spent time with Hinata." A glow spread across Hinata's face. Really? She had heard? Had news spread so quickly?

"I did." His smile caused the girl to nearly choke on her heart. Smiling… smiling for _her_? Had it made a difference to him?

"Why, are you jealous?" Jealous? His coy grin confused her as she brushed aside a leaf to see well.

"Naruto, that is so–– I mean, sometimes you say the dumbest things!" Hinata closed her eyes and winced as the other girl whapped the blonde boy upside the head. Should she say something? Should she…? No. No, he recovered quickly. Of course. She swept away another slip of green.

"I was just worried; you didn't…" Floundering for words. Hinata leaned forward, heart pounding against her ribcage. Didn't…?

"What?" He showed a dumb expression as he sat, blinded slightly by the sun, tightening the black headband that showed plainly against his gold hair. "What didn't I do?"

"She… doesn't _mean_ anything to you, does she?"

"See, you _are_ jealous!" A cackle of satisfaction cut short by the cracking of knuckles.

"I'm serious! Don't make me hit you again."

"All right, all right. Yeah, I spent some time with her, but it was nothing special." Hinata stopped breathing.

"To her or to you?" she was choking for air.

"I dunno! Twenty questions, Sakura-cha–– OW!" Air, air! She needed air!

"Naruto, you _know_ she likes you!"

"And you know I like you–– what's the problem?"

"The problem is you _used_ her!"

"Not true."

"_Yes_, true!"

"OW, OW! Why do you have to _hit_?" Hinata gulped, looking up again. Air, air––– how fantastic, how marvelous to be able to breathe again! She froze in terror, rooted to the spot.

"Hey!" He caught her punch at the wrist, smiling playfully. The other girl tugged away, but he didn't let go. "Naruto!" He caught her other wrist, too. She lost her balance suddenly, falling into the chair with him. He laughed. Hinata's chest tightened, unable to stop herself from watching.

"Naru_to_!" She was no longer angry. She brought her face to his, a smile on her lips. Hinata let out a silent scream. She shivered, swallowing her heart again. Then ran.

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"Hinata-sama." Neji rapped lightly at the door of his cousin's room. The Main House Elders were beside themselves with worry; they could not lose _another_ leader so soon! How could they have known that the shock of her father's death would prove so detrimental to Hinata's health? Neji stood and listened quietly, then tried again.

"Hinata-sama, you must eat _something_." No response. Neji was not surprised. He unlocked his Byakugan smoothly, letting his eyes adjust to her lightless room. At last he found the bed. He squinted, looking harder. That was strange… Although in all actuality he was violating protocol, the boy slid open the door and moved quietly across the wooden paneling until he reached her bedside. Very softly he touched the sheets.

"Hinata-sama?" No movement. Neji flung back the covers suddenly, then stared in disbelief. She was gone.

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"Hey, Hinata!" She could still hear the first time he talked to her like that, his eyes lighting up and his smile warm and inviting. At another point in time she would have fainted. He had invited her out that day to a ramen place he visited frequently. Food had never tasted so good in all her life until right then.

The question was not _why_ he had chosen her. His teammate and long-time crush Haruno Sakura had gone off to train with the Godaime Hokage for a month. It was not a rare thing that Tsunade would take off time to teach her favorite pupil, but a month seemed excessive. Still, she _was_ Hokage and therefore she could and did.

No, as Hinata shyly slurped down the steaming noodles she was well aware that Naruto would be lonely. The question was why he had chosen _her_. Hinata knew, even though she had managed to show strength and courage to the boy on several occasions, that she was still quiet and creepy to him. But for a month (what a blessed, blissful amount of time!) he was by her side. True, there were times when she needed to spend time with her team or when Naruto would venture off with "the guys," but other than that she believed they were inseparable. They talked about everything, things Hinata had never even told her closest friends and things she didn't even know she knew! And to everything she said he would give an emphatic response, mostly smiles and laughter. "Hinata-chan" rung in her ears hours afterwards like the tinkling of some holy bells.

But now she knew the truth––– it meant nothing to him. He did not love her as she loved him. He barely cared about her existence; she did, indeed, feel used. How could she possibly have hoped to compare to the active and brilliant Haruno Sakura? How could she begin t think she was even worthy of being a Hyuuga?

This thought stopped the girl in her weak movements. Where had that come fr–– oh. It was what her father would tell her often, that her weakness made her unworthy of the Hyuuga blood that flowed in her veins. Her father…

He was a cold man. Hinata could not say she loved him. Respected him, yes. Enjoyed him in later years, yes. But love? No, Hinata did not know what it meant to love your family––– she had been rejected even at birth; her mother had died in labor.

This was not why she refused to go to the cremation of Hiashi, however. Not because it hurt, although a part of her would forever feel empty. No, it was because she feared she would feel _good_. She was terrified of the type of person she might be, and so she did not go.

It was with this knowledge, of heartbreak and immoral character, that Hinata fled the Hyuuga compound for a secret grove on the other side of town. She had a plan, and rehearsed it carefully in her mind as she made her way along the busy streets, clumsily grasping the kunai. She had a plan. Today… she would find release.

Sorry this was short; I originally wanted to make this into a oneshot but had to split it up. Do you think I should continue? Please give me your feedback


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Omigosh! Thank you so much for everyone's support of this fic! It made me want to write more (actually, I was in an "emo" mood, but still!) Please continue to tell me what you think about my writing and portrayal of the characters! Anyways, on to the Hinatangst…**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, but I _do_ own the word "Hinatangst." D …you can use it if you want to…

"_Have you ever felt… broken?" She regretted the words as soon as they fell from her mouth. The boy stared across at her quizzically._

"_Broken? You mean when you fall from somewhere high up?" The blonde shinobi's laugh rang clear and true. "Yeah, lots of times." She merely shook her head, shy and unsure of herself still._

"_I mean… your existence… has it…?" She couldn't find the right words. "Have you ever…?" Her companion blinked, perplexed._

"_You can be so weird sometimes, Hinata-chan," he chuckled at last, turning away. "I wonder when Sakura-chan'll be back…" She stifled her dejection and smiled hopefully. _

"_Sometime soon, probably. Yes, I'm sure of it." She didn't ask him again. _

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"You came." It was a brisk, formal greeting that received the teenage Inuzuka as he stepped into the familiar garden. A little behind him a mysterious covered figure lurked silently. Neji rose from the bench and walked to the two with a cold, yet graceful regality about him, the Hyuuga robes flowing evenly with his pace.

"I trust you understand why you've been called here," the Hyuuga male stated flatly. It was not a question.

"Yeah, before we came the Hokage briefed us… well, briefly." A fanged smile cracked the boy's lips and beyond the gates his massive white dog snorted appropriately. The other two ignored the brainless pun with little restraint.

"Good. Then you also understand why it is of the utmost importance this mission is successful."

"Yes, _sir_!"

"Kiba…" Aburame Shino shot him a hard look, but his attire obscured it, so he opted to merely shake his head at his teammate's baffling immature behavior after so many years.

"What?" Kiba smirked playfully, a telltale sign he knew "what."

"This is not a time to joke around, Inuzuka. Either you're serious about this or I can enlist the help of another elite tracking team," Neji snapped coolly.

"Good luck with that one," Kiba challenged, raising his eyebrow slightly as he casually perused his nails.

"Ki_ba_…"'

"Fine, fine. I'll be good," the boy offered, bringing his hands up in defense. "Just sayin'…" He looked up. "But since it's Hinata 'n' all, it's not like we're _not_ gonna do it…" He made it sound so everyday, when in reality they were dealing with something as grave as a kidnapping of the Hyuuga clan leader. Neji sighed, not taking the bait.

"There's something else you should know." The boy paused, glancing back and forth between Kiba and Shino. "Due to the recent death of her father, Hinata's condition has been somewhat… unstable." Kiba's eyes flashed.

"Define… 'unstable.'" He didn't like the sound of this.

"She locked herself in her room for days, refusing to either eat or drink before her sudden disappearance." Akamaru whined something from the gate and Kiba frowned, responding with a curt nod.

"He's right." He spoke gravely. "That doesn't sound like her at all. "

"I suppose you would know," Neji agreed calmly.

"So what is our plan of action?" Shino's voice came steely and sudden.

"As we speak we have teams of select Hyuuga individuals out searching for her."

"Why?" Kiba asked nosily despite himself.

"Appearances…" Neji muttered vaguely. "Main House affairs." His stance stiffened.

"I see…" Kiba didn't really see at all, but he wasn't about to admit that aloud.

"At any rate, the clan has chosen another Hyuuga member to accompany your tracking team in place of Hinata." Kiba looked up, surprised. This was unexpected.

"Really? Who?" He looked around, confused. Neji couldn't help but smile slightly as he drew back his long hair into a tight ponytail.

"Who else?" Kiba almost groaned when realization dawned upon him. "Me."

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"Let's split up, Akamaru." That was the last the rest of the group heard from the canine boy before he disappeared from sight, his dog dashing in the other direction.

"Inu­­­––!" Neji bit off his shout and turned to Shino. "He's far too reckless to be of any help, isn't he?"

"I wouldn't underestimate him… " Shino would have smiled if he were inclined to displaying emotion. "He'll find her first." Neji's eyes widened in disbelief.

"How do you know that? He acts like a child…"

"Yes, but it'll get dark soon, and even the Byakugan fails without light." He extended his arm slightly and a few black bugs crawled lazily about the grey sleeve. "Even my insects… our connection fails, too, with the night…" Neji frowned.

"So he can smell her. He's just a Chuunin."

"Our team works strangely, Hyuuga…" Shino adjusted his glasses with a fluid motion. "He probably knew where to find her even before we were assigned this mission."

"I don't understand…"

"Neither did I." The Aburame boy glanced at the darkening sky once more before turning to Neji. "We had better head out. You don't want to appear as if you don't have control over the situation, do you?" Neji almost flushed at this comment, embarrassed, but somehow remained cool.

"Right." He nodded in the first direction that seemed best to him. "Let's go."

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_"Hinata, come on!" Kiba tugged on her sleeve playfully, hope glistening in his eyes like the joy of a puppy. The girl sighed and shook her head._

_"F…forgive me, Kiba-kun, but I can't. I had a da––– um… Naruto-kun invited me out today."_

_"But you're _always_ with him! We never get to do anything fun anymore! Even Shino misses you." He smiled again and even Akamaru whined by his hip. _

"I'm sorry, Kiba-kun…" 

_"But––"_

_"Please, I have to go. I don't want to be late. We'll do something next Saturday, just the team, okay? Kurenai-sensei, too. "_

_"But Hinata–––!"_

_"Kiba-kun, I have to _go._"_

He winced as this last line played through his head, as sharp as a slap across the face. What had he been thinking? As if Hinata would drop time with Naruto for her stupid teammate… Kiba groaned in irritation, managing to keep his balance as he flung himself from branch to branch.

It wasn't like he meant for it to happen. They had been teammates for so long, but he could still remember the announcement being made in class by Iruka-sensei that the shy girl and creepy bug guy were on his team. And yet they had grown so close that his team was his second family, Hinata his little sister… He hesitated in his thoughts, resting on a limb and sniffing the air.

No. She was not his little sister. That's what he had thought a long time ago… But steadily he had come to realize that she meant more to him than that. Seeing her so happy with Naruto in a way that he could never make her happy, a way she would never _wish_ for him to make her happy… It tore him up inside. The truth was… The truth was…

"There." Her scent suddenly flared in his nostrils, the sweet yet delicate aroma that he knew as her. Intoxicating as it was, Kiba had enough experience to ignore the urge to float, to get high off that smell… But it was so _strong_ tonight; even the moon overhead could not penetrate the shadows of his mind that threatened to cloud over his thoughts…

"No." He shook his head, dropping to the ground with a light thump. He needed to stay in control. His eyes widened slightly as he got closer to where the scent-trail lead him… Her sweet smell was tainted, corrupted by the sting of sweat, of tears, of pain, of hopelessness, of fear, of… Kiba choked on his breath as the coppery aroma blazed in his nose, so familiar, so natural, yet he panicked, quickening his pace. No, no it couldn't be… But it was, it was, he knew it as, he could smell it so clearly, he could smell… blood.

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The night was quiet, and warm. Hinata took a slow breath, choked with tears, and tried to still the trembling of her hands in her lap. A soft wind blew, leading the pale grass about her knees to caress her bare skin.

There was no hope left. She had come to that conclusion long ago. There was nothing but these last moments, and even those were ceasing to exist, one by one in the dark. The girl shivered and shed the ceremonial robes of the Hyuuga household, the ones that proclaimed her leader of their powerful clan. She did not want the garment to be dirty when they found her.

But why stop there? Hinata shrugged off first her simple black shirt and pants, then her sandals and undergarments. The feeling of the wind was good against her pale flesh, already damp with perspiration. Now it was official; she was stripped of every earthly thing that remained in her possession. Even her dark hair flowed unbound down her back.

Licking her lips, Hinata carefully, slowly fished into her weapons pouch and at last her hand clasped the handle of the kunai. The metal was smooth and familiar; as a child it was one of her only toys. Now it was not a toy, but… But what? Hinata was too giddy with excitement and fear to worry about specifics.

"Here are the scars." Years before, when Hinata could still stand to be around Sakura, she had shown her the ugly brown lines that scabbed the skin of her wrists. The Hyuuga heiress could not fathom a reason to induce herself to such pain, especially since Sakura was a medic-nin-in-training.

"Oh, that was… when Sasuke-kun had first left," Sakura had replied, the words dry enough that they choked her as she demonstrated the slow motion of the blade sweeping across her arm.

This was the first time. Hinata gracefully picked up the kunai as though it were a bow, she the violin. Even in the nausea that gripped her Hinata managed to smile. Yes, all those other scratched and tears had been practice. Tonight she would play for real; she would share her music with the whole of the forest, with the moon, with _him_. She was ready.

The kunai slid across and her pants and screams melted with the sound. She was a melody; could he hear her now, asleep in his room? Scarlet began to trickle forth, staining her wrist with droplets like notes. She was music, _his_ music. She would be a lullaby. Hinata cut until the red ran freely and became one with the ground.

"I…" her other wrist was trembling, clumsier with the slickness of her life force and the numbness that began to spread. It burned, like fire. She was spreading like fire, the music of fire, and as the wicked metal bit into the softness of her skin she realized she would die all alone, that he would never hear her music, that no one would care. How had she come to this? Couldn't she have remedied the situation? No, no, she must keep playing, playing the song of blood, of fire turned cold, of having nowhere to go, a melody lonely and sweet and all her own, and right when she thought the curtain had come down there was an "encore!"

"Hinata! HINATA!" He was screaming her name, running at her but too late, too late for her to stop the music––– "Hinata, don't! HINATAAAAA!!!" And she turned, dizzy with the pain and dropping her bow, she turned and bowed a little, a smile on her face as red dripped across her hands. She smiled and bowed and she was happy, so happy, because she was not alone and someone, someone had heard her last performance after all.

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**A WORD FROM THE WISE**

I sort of just realized I should have put this first, but whatever. No, I do not cut myself first and foremost, so no one needs to worry about me. Second, I put this in "T" because I didn't think it was that graphic, but if anyone else thinks otherwise, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. **Third,****and most important:** **kids, cutting is NOT the solution!** I'm not saying anything bad about those who do, but if you think you need to resort to harming yourself to relieve emotional pain PLEASE find professional help or someone you can trust and talk with them first!

Okay, I know that seemed pretty obvious, but I thought I'd put it up there anyways. Sorry this took so long to update… Yes, I know I should be working on "Ramen," but shh! Until next time… ––––Labbess


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update, I've been really busy. Thank you to everyone who has been supporting this fic––– it's very encouraging as an author! Please continue to read and review as you have been, and don't be afraid to let me know what you think, even if it's criticism! **

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto… but I own Kishimoto-sensei! XD

"_She's gone_._" _

The words rang in his head, his heartbeat in time to the rhythm of the panic of that moment. Hyuuga Neji ran through the deserted night streets of Konoha, Byakugan activated, ready to strike at the slightest sign of another Hyuuga, yet this conversation kept playing through his mind and distracting his normally sharp concentration.

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"_What do you mean, 'she's gone'?"_ _An elder stood up from his place at the arrival of the breathless "true" Hyuuga leader. _

"_Hinata-sama. She's not in her room, and the maids can't find her anywhere." A collective gasp had rung about the space, alarmed gazes exchanged. It was a repeat, a repeat of when the girl was just a child, kidnapped by those seeking to unlock the secret of the Byakugan. But now it was worse; their entire clan was in jeopardy._

"_Where's my sister?" Hanabi, still very much the spoiled child she had been brought up to be, had demanded as she entered the meeting room suddenly. _

"_Hanabi-sama!" Another elder attempted to direct the girl elsewhere. _

"_Where _is_ she? No one can find her!" She glared at Neji. "You. What are you doing in here?"_

"_Hanabi-sama, we are in the middle of conducting important business," yet another Hyuuga spoke up calmly. "Please remember this is not a place to play."_

"_But––"_

"_Thank you for understanding, Hanabi-sama." While she was ushered out of the otherwise secluded room the attention returned to the urgency of Neji's news._

"_Neji-sama, what are your orders?" He looked around at the elders waiting expectantly for his decision. He was leader. He kept forgetting his true power after being treated so lowly for so long… _

"_What happens if she dies?" His blunt speech caught them off guard, but nevertheless one member of the group was quick to answer._

"_She _mustn't_ die."_

"_And if she does?" Neji's eyes narrowed. "And if Hinata-sama is found dead, what is to be done? Your precious plan will be turned over to that––" he pointed at the door where Hanabi had just disappeared minutes ago. "––that child_. _What then?"_

"_Then we follow your orders, Neji-sama." The oldest out of all present replied this looking him directly in the same pale eyes. "Then you keep your power, and we have no choice but to…to deal with Hanabi-sama." Neji gave the man a hard stare, analyzing his features, watching every move, every twitch, every breath…_

"_I keep my power?" The man across from the boy nodded solemnly. "You realize not turning over the throne to Hanabi-sama will not only cause complications for you, but might even cause this clan to turn on itself?"_

"_We took this into consideration long before you were notified of your position," the other confirmed. "Neji-sama, please believe us when we say we have the clan's best interest at heart in every decision made." The man hesitated. "And right now, that best interest is you. So what are your orders, Neji-sama?" The boy didn't want to be himself right then, he didn't want this power, this deadly control, but…His gaze softened. But his clan depended on him. They needed him. He would not fail them as they had failed him._

"_All right," he announced currently. "Send out our best teams to track her down. If they don't report back within two hours with information, have the Hokage notified."_

"_The Hokage?" a woman spoke up from a corner, her old brow creased in confusion. "Is that necessary? After all, this is only the affair of our famil–––"_

"_Yes. Notify the Hokage." Neji's lips tightened. "If we can't find anything out in that stretch of time, we'll have to get Hinata-sama's team involved."_

"_But Neji-sama, is it worth it?" one elder ventured to ask. Neji's gaze turned icy at this question._

"_Are you challenging my authority?" The Hyuuga individual sat back, stunned._

"_N-no, Neji-sama. Of c-course not!" _

"_Good. I want my orders followed exactly." He headed for the door._

"_Wait! Where are you going, Neji-sama?" The boy turned to face the audience of elderly Hyuugas. _

"_To prepare for the worst," he replied simply before exiting the room._

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_The Hyuuga political system is far too complicated_, Aburame Shino thought presently as he scoured a section of forest close to the Konohan gates. Of course, he knew his viewpoint was coming from the standpoint of Aburames, a clan whose leadership was not chosen by monarchy and councils but by the insects themselves. The chakra bugs within each Aburame all had the ability to assess the strength of the insects of another host, resulting in a natural procession of leaders. Still, even without that, would the Aburames be so ruthless and apprehensive about who would take power and who wouldn't? The boy didn't know, and decided it was pointless to continue thinking about something that was out of his power of influence. Instead, his thoughts turned to his current mission.

_Kiba… have you found her yet? _Shino could not say he cared for his teammates; they each had their own strengths that contributed to the group effort, their combined assets resulting in one of the most select tracking teams in their village and perhapsthe world. No, as the silent boy followed the buzz of the cloud of insects that lead him to where they picked up faint signals of Hinata's chakra, he knew he could not say he cared for them. But then again, the Aburames were not inclined to affection––– could he even say he loved his parents? But Hinata… Shino frowned softly with worry. Kiba was right. She _was_ important to their team, not just as a strength but… The Aburame boy paused as his bugs stopped, trying to pick up the faint signal of the Hyuuga heiress once more. He squinted in the darkness.

Hinata was… She was important because she was his _friend._ And that meant that Shino would lay down his life for her, just as the other two would do for him and each other. Their team dynamic was unshakable because they were _family_, because even though some of them weren't capable of loving or didn't even know what love _was_, even though they had been unsure and shaky in the beginning, they were _valuable _to one another. Shino relaxed as his bugs found their chakra trail again and buzzed with excitement, flying forward instantly. Yes, they were so valuable to each other… And with this final thought the boy, for one of the very rare times in his life, truly smiled. They _would_ find her––– he just prayed it wouldn't be too late.

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_Where am I_? It was dark, but cool. Hinata's eyes gazed unseeing into the black mist. _Am I dead_? She couldn't think; the thoughts were swimming in her head faster than she could catch them.

_I must be dead, _she decided at last with little pleasure. _So this is what it's like? It's so lonely, lonelier than I've ever felt in my life… _The girl shivered in the night's gloom. _I'm sorry, everyone. I'm sorry I failed you. Father, Hanabi-chan, my clan… my team… Kurenai-sensei, you always said I would grow up to be a real lady, someone who men would die for… Shino-kun, you encouraged me and fought for me when I wasn't strong…And Kiba-kun, you… you were… you were _there_. You were always there… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…_

"Hinata…" _I know._ She felt she would cry if it wasn't for the fact that she no longer had a body, no longer had emotions as a lost soul._ I'm so sorry I couldn't be with you longer. You'll understand, won't you? You'll understand how tired I was, how much I needed to sleep. And now, now I can sleep peacefully at last. You'll understand… _

"Hinata, you can't do this to me! Hinata, come back…" The voice was a sharp pain in her heart, the heart she shouldn't possess. _Please forgive me, everyone. Please forgive me. _The pain grew more intense like she was being stabbed with emotion. _Please, forgive me… _Where was this pain coming from? Didn't they understand she just wanted to sleep? _Please, leave me alone. You'll understand in time. I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't go on…_What was she doing? She couldn't die, could she? But the tendrils of sleep brushed over her eyes, and without meaning to the girl could feel herself relax. _I'm sorry, but you know I… I only left because I love you… _

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"Hinata…" Kiba pressed his red-marked cheek to hers, biting his tongue, his lip, anything to keep from breaking down. He wasn't a doctor or a medic-nin, he didn't know how these things worked! He only knew the few tricks he had picked up from his sister, and those were shaky at best. Still, it was better than nothing. Without hesitation Kiba yanked up the white robe of the Hyuuga nobility and ripped it into strips with his hands and teeth. These he used to bind around her wrist as tightly as possible to stop the flow of blood. If only he could find some of that herb Hana had mentioned around here… He sniffed the air hastily, but all he could catch was the coppery stench of fresh blood. Somewhere inside him he wanted to vomit.

"Hinata, hold on," Kiba growled through clenched teeth, pulling tighter at the white cloth on her arms. The blood seemed to be stopped for the time being, what with the layers and layers he had tied, but who knew how long that would last––– or even if it had done any good?

"Stay alive," he muttered. It was at this moment that he realized that the girl was entirely unclothed, which not only was unsafe but also would look highly suspicious if Kiba tried to get help. Not to mention his face flushed with blood just looking at her… Quickly he shrugged off his coat and wrapped his teammate in the black leather warmed by his own body heat.

"Don't you dare die on me…" Now what? Should he alert Shino and Neji about finding her? No. He glanced from side to side, watching the shadows of the trees. No, he should take her to the hospital immediately. So thinking he scooped up the girl unceremoniously and awkwardly ran into the woods; although she was light for a girl, the extra weight still threw him off.

He wanted to be hopeful then, to think about her recovery and how that would affect his team, heck, the entire Hyuuga clan. How he could help her through whatever trauma that had brought about this sudden suicide attempt–––and he was no idiot, he knew she wanted to die–– but all he could think about was what would happen if they lost her. What if she had really just lost the will to survive? Could he force her to come back to them, to him?

"Don't go," Kiba whispered into her dark hair against his chin, into the night that blanketed them like doubts and fear and death itself. "I won't let you die on me, Hinata."

"Ghm… " He stopped suddenly in his tracks, holding out his arms to see tha he had not been mistaken.

"Nngh… Na…" Kiba couldn't breathe, so constricted was his heart with joy. "Na… " She opened her eyes drowsily, blinking around a few times before moving slightly in his hands. "Ki…ba-kun?"

"Hinata!" He hugged her instantly, pressing her small form against his large frame as if to desperately save her from the darkness he thought he's lost her to. "You're okay…. You're okay…"

"Kiba-kun…?" She was more awake now, and her perception grew sharper. She was now aware of the suffocating pain in her wrists, the sweat on her skin, the warmth of his body…

"Kiba-kun, where–––?" Suddenly she stopped. Kiba let go as he heard her silence, fear taking hold once more.

"Hinata…?" She wasn't looking at him as she sat on the ground leaning against him, wrists in her lap. "Hinata, what's wrong? Hinata, speak to me, what's wrong?" She wasn't moving.

"Hina–––!" But she was alive. She was crying. "Hinata…?"

"I'm alive, aren't I?" she managed at last, her lip trembling. "Why am I alive?"

"Hinata, don't say things like that!"

"Kiba-kun, I'm _alive_!" She wailed weakly, tears running down her face. She could barely squeak out her words as the pain in her wrists, the pain of reality shot up into her. "Why am I _alive_?!"

"Because I saved y–––"

"NO!" She cried, turning to him suddenly. "I… I…" She fell forward, her face buried in her bare knees. "I'm so pathetic…I… I can't even kill myself correctly!" She was sobbing from the physical pain, the emotional pain, the torturous throbbing of her heart that wasn't even supposed to be beating…

"Hinata!" He took her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him with a gape of surprise. "Look at me!" She squirmed in his hold; it was crushing her bones, she felt. It was like… he was afraid. "Hinata, stop saying things like that!"

"But I want to die!" She yelled back, her voice lost in this blaze of heat from her arms, from her heart, licking at her body, consuming her. "Why didn't you let me die?!"

"Because I––!" He couldn't finish. "Because I… Because…" He looked at her, and she realized that he, too, was crying. "Because I need you Hinata… Because we're… Because I can't let you go." He bit his lip. "I'm sorry, Hinata. I'm sorry…"

**This one ended up being pretty long mostly because I couldn't come up with a good place to end. It mostly seems like WAFF right now because I haven't gotten to the plot yet and I'm not even sure I'll be able to! But I'll try my hardest if you guys keep up the good R&R-ing!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: It has been a long while since I updated and I sincerely apologize! Now that I have finally completed "Like Ramen," however, I can focus on this one again. Thank you to everyone for their support and love for my writing! Please continue to read and review!**

Disclaimer: Naruto. I don't own it.

"I'm sorry," Kiba whispered into the Hinata's hair as he held her tightly against him, rushing through the trees. He kissed the top of her head, then her pale cheek, her neck—but caught himself. No. He had a mission to complete and he would not allow his desires to distract him, no matter how desperate the adrenaline had made them appear.

"Hinata..." He hadn't meant to, really, but... She was just freaking out. And as much as it tore Kiba's heart and made him bleed on the inside, he just couldn't stand to see her in pain. So he had tweaked the nerve at the back of her neck, making her drop limply into his arms mid-tantrum. He could only hope that she would forgive him.

Now the lights of the town glared brightly, but the streets were emptying of all-night part-goers, drunk and giddy. However, only one building held interest for the young Inuzuka boy.

"I have an emergency!" Kiba cried frantically the instant he had burst through the double doors and into the whitewashed facility. "This girl is bleeding!" Even the cloth around her wrists was doing no good now; blood continued to pour forth in a trickling stream from the gashes. In her excitement Hinata had probably stimulated her blood flow.

"Sir, we'll be right with—Kiba!" A white-clothed nurse ran over to him in the waiting room, clutching a clipboard to her chest. "Oh, lord— Hinata! What happened to her?"

"Sa— Sakura!" Kiba's eyes lit up in a display of recognition. "She— Kami, she—" He gulped hard, his arms shaking from under the Hyuuga girl's weight. "Help her! Help her, please! She's bleeding badly and I—"

"Kiba, calm down. We'll take care of her, okay?" Sakura spoke comfortingly, then turned to bark at three medic-nin who had appeared with a stretcher, speaking rapid medical jargon at them. They reacted immediately. One reached for the girl in Kiba's arms, but he found he was unable to let go. The look in his eyes was one of pure panic.

"Sir, we're professionally trained–––Please!"

"Kiba, we need to treat her wounds," Sakura insisted then, placing a hand on his. "You need to let _go_." Seeing this did no good, she added in a softer voice, "I'll take good care of her. I promise." At last Kiba gulped hard, nodded, and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he bent over and kissed the unconscious girl softly, her cold lips pressing against his.

"Hinata, I love you..." he managed before she was gone, orders continuing to be yelled as the medic-nin disappeared behind yet another pair of white double doors. "I love you..." He just stood there for a while, his look one of one who had absorbed the personal trauma of someone they held dear to them. It took everything he had just to continue to breathe. At this point yet another medic-nin approached him, holding the same kind of clipboard as Sakura.

"Sir, we'd like to ask you a few questions about this young lady's injuries…" She smiled sweetly. "First, what is the patient's name?"

"H…Hyuuga. Hyuuga Hinata––" Kiba's voice choked, and he turned away, the smell of fresh blood still flowing into his nostrils, burning… "She…" He blinked and sighed shakily. The thud of his heartbeat was loud in his ears.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, turning away, blinking more now as his eyes stung. "Get Sakura to take care of this. I… I've gotta go… for a walk… something…" The woman stood there as if affixed to the ground, wanting to say something, but her mouth closed and she nodded, leaving with a look of worry on her face, sandals squeaking down the brightly lit hallway.

"Hinata…" Kiba collapsed onto a bench that swam in streetlight, the way Kiba's head was swimming dizzily through his thoughts. As he sat down the hiss of rain finally caught his attention. Cold bled into his bones, but he felt so numb… Where had it gone wrong? At last, Kiba leaned forward and softly, silently began to sob, his shed tears mingling unnoticed with the rain.

"Hinata, I…" He knew… He knew even as the rain washed down and immersed him in its refreshing shower that he was already drenched, drenched with trickles of red that were not his, but from the girl he loved. How he wished bitterly it were his own blood that were shed for her.

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"We have received the report on the search for Hinata-sama, Neji-sama." Hyuuga Neji looked up from where he had sat all night looking out the window, mulling over the words that Shino had told him the day before. Was it really so possible that that mutt, Inuzuka, had found his cousin? Neji took the folder and the messenger departed, leaving him alone in the room once more. He waited a moment before finally sating his curiosity and flipping through the crisp white papers, his pale eyes scanning for the most vital information.

They had found nothing at first. It wasn't until the Main House groups had searched about 5 miles to the north that they had found clothing, as well as... Neji frowned. Blood. A puddle of it, watered into thin mud from the night's storm. The sample was greatly contaminated, but nonetheless it seemed to match Hinata's. This left Neji thinking not only kidnapping now, but rape and murder. Then he turned to the last paper. A recent hospital record, signed by Haruno Sakura at that. Apparently Hinata had been checked into the ICU ward for critical injuries. Unfortunately, the document seemed rather vague on how these injuries were received. Neji bit his thumbnail pensively, glaring at the view from his window. Well, it looked like Shino had been wrong after all. Neji could only wonder who had found the Hyuuga heiress and taken her to the hospital. At last he rose and ordered for one of his attendants to call the hospital and request that Sakura be put on the phone.

"Hello?" Neji stiffened as he was handed the instrument, frowning as he prepared himself for his plan of action.

"Sakura?"

"Speaking. Can I help you?" Already he could hear suspicion creeping into her voice, not recognizing the sound of his.

"Sakura, this is Hyuuga Neji. I'm calling to ask about my cousin, who for some reason seems to have ended up in your care." He could hear a sharp intake of breath from the other end of the line, a sign of hesitation. He was already not liking the way this was turning out.

"She's in stable condition, if that's what you want to know," the medic-nin said carefully. "She was checked in last night because of—"

"Yes, I have the document right here," Neji cut her off, holding it up as if she could see. He started to pace the floor of his room now, holding the phone tightly.

"Oh. Then... what...?"

"I want to know who checked her in and what their explanation was for the condition she was found in," the Hyuuga pronounced sharply. The ordering tone in his words sounded strange even to him; perhaps he was already growing accustomed to the power he held within the Hyuuga household.

"I can't..." Sakura began, trailing off. "I mean—"

"Well if you can't, get someone on the phone who will," Neji snapped. "Or do I have to come down there and ask her myself?"

"You can't," Sakura replied evenly, apparent annoyance dropping into her tone.

"What?"

"I said, you _can't_. Hinata-san has specifically stated in a signed document that she does not wish to be visited by her family unless she requests it." He could hear the background noises of the hospital before she added, "She said that as the Hyuuga clan leader her verdict is final and cannot be challenged by anyone in her family." Neji couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"That's impossible! I'm—!" But the boy caught himself in time and fell into a seething, frustrated silence.

"Why is she doing this, Sakura?" he asked at last. "What is she hiding?" His voice had now taken on an air of venom, but Sakura remained unphased.

"If that's all, then I will be returning to my duty," she said simply.

"Sakura, I will ask you one more time—"

"Have a nice day."

"Sakura!" The phone clicked. "Damn it, Sakura!" Neji threw the phone against the floor in his fit of rage, shattering it instantly. He stood there, fuming with hatred at the unforeseen events. At last he kicked the remnants aside angrily, and with a look of determination swept out his door. The attendant that had called Sakura followed him immediately, worry plastering the man's face.

"Neji-sama, where are you going?" He asked in almost a pleading tone, seeing that Neji had already headed for the main doors of the house. "What about the meeting?" The younger Hyuuga turned on his companion then, his eyes filled with a now quieted rage.

"There is nothing to be done," he spat with a glower. "Tell the elders that Hinata-sama will not receive visitors, so there is nothing we can do." As he unlocked the door the man beside him wrung his hands nervously.

"But... but still, where are you going, Neji-sama?" he insisted. "It's bad enough that one member of Hyuuga royalty is missing, but—"

"I'm going to forget," Neji responded without looking back, slamming the door in the man's face. _I'm going to her to forget all of this, even if it is only for a few hours_. It was now he could remember why he had so much hate for his family, their fragile hierarchy designed to keep the rest of the family happy, and their cold disregard for one another. Neji paused in his thoughts. His cold disregard for them. No matter. There was one person in the world he actually cared about, and if the pitiful Hyuuga elders thought they would stop him from going to her in his stress and frustration, well, they were pretty damn _wrong_.

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"Ghmngh..." Kiba mumbled in his sleep, turning restlessly. "Nngh..." Hinata watched the boy from where she lay in the hospital bed, her white eyes filled with an unreadable emotion.

"Kiba-kun..." she murmured, tilting her head slightly. Already her puffy eyes were welling up with yet more tears. She looked down at her tightly bandaged arms and sighed, frowning.

She had awoken early that morning, frightened and uncertain as to how she had ended up where she was until a medic-nin she didn't know had come in to check on her. The girl had been asked several questions about her injuries, how she had come to receive them, etc. Hinata had been vague and had even lied about a few of the details. That was when she had asked for the form forbidding her family from visiting her. She wasn't ready for them to know. Not yet. Now she lay there, limp and drained and without much of a way to complete the task she had set about doing last night. All she could do now was grit her teeth and bear the second life that had been granted to her whether she liked it or not. The sight of something stirring caught her eye and she turned her head.

"Hina...ta...?" Kiba blinked sleepily from where he was slumped in the hospital chair. He rubbed at his eyes and yawned widely, stretching an arm above his head.

"Hinata, you're awake," the boy managed at last with a tired smile. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?" Kiba sat up now, concern plastering his face, but Hinata's expression did not change.

"I'm fine," she replied finally, mustering a weak smile. "How are you?" She couldn't help but notice the drained appearance her teammate's face had taken. His eyes were bloodshot and underneath them lay purple bags. He did not look good at all.

"Me? Don't worry about me," Kiba smiled quickly. But Hinata's gaze clouded.

"Did you stay here... all night?" she asked, frowning slightly. "You shouldn't worry about me. You should go home. Your family needs you more than I do..." Kiba could hardly believe his ears.

"Hinata!" His voice dropped to an unbelieving whisper. "After... after last night..." He looked as if he might break down, but he held it back and shook his head. "I can't. I can't leave you. I just can't." His eyes met hers, and in them she saw great pain, a pain that she recognized as one that had stared back at her in the mirror one week before. She didn't understand.

"I'm sorry..." she murmured at last. "I'm sorry, Kiba-kun, I..."

"Hinata." He got up out of his chair and knelt at her bedside then, his chin leaning on his arms as they pressed into the blanket. He looked up at her again. "Hinata, why...?" He gulped, and took a breath. "Why did you do that to yourself? Why would you do that? Why would you do that... to me?"

"Kiba-kun..." But his pain only made hers greater and she began to cry, great sobs racking her small body. "Kiba-kun, I..." She couldn't think, she couldn't breathe... "Kiba-kun, I...I..." The pain inside her chest was back with greater intensity than she could imagine, the terrible pain that she had tried to forcibly release by cutting it out, it was...

"Kiba-kun, I love him!" she cried out at last, trying to place her hands to her face but unable to do so as she winced in pain. "Kiba-kun, I love him, I love him, I love him..." She couldn't stop. "I love him... " She closed her eyes tightly against the pain, but it did no good. "But he... he loves... her." She shook her head, shaking tear droplets onto the bed and into his hair. Kiba wanted to cry, too, to share her pain. Their pain. He knew that from now on, any pain she felt he would feel, too. But he couldn't. She needed him right now. She needed him to be strong and comfort her, even if it killed him in the process. He managed to grip her hand softly with his, pressing his face to it. He took a deep, shaky breath to calm himself.

"Hinata," he croaked. "Hinata, who is it?" She looked at him with pale, watery eyes, but could speak no more. "Who is he? Is he Naruto?" She looked at him desperately for a few moments, an unnamed fear welling up inside of her. "Hinata, is it Naruto?" At last, she nodded weakly. That was all it took. Kiba was up instantly, a dark look in his eyes.

"Then that's that," he murmured, clenching his fists at his sides. He turned to the girl. "If you want his heart, I'll rip it out for you."

"No!" Hinata gasped suddenly, tears spilling from hers eyes anew. "Kiba-kun, don't kill him! Please, I'm begging you... don't kill him!"

"I'm sorry." The two looked up suddenly as a figure stood in the doorway. "Am I... interrupting anything? I just came to check up on Hinata-chan..."

"You." Suddenly it clicked for Kiba. How could he have been such an idiot, congratulating Naruto on him finally having secured Sakura as his girlfriend? How could he have been so _stupid_? Kiba's glower darkened.

"_You_," he repeated, his voice low and barely controlled. "Get out." Sakura's eyes widened in confusion.

"Wh-what?" She looked to Hinata, but the girl was turned away, wincing as if expecting to be slapped. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said get the hell out," Kiba growled. "You hear me?" Sakura shook her head, not believing what she heard.

"Kiba, what is wrong with you? Just last night—"

"What the hell do I have to do, _engrave it_ for you?" Kiba roared suddenly, baring his fangs. "GET OUT!"

"But Kiba—!"

"HINATA DOESN'T WANT YOU HERE, SO GET THE HELL OUT!" Just then another nurse passed, startled by Kiba's voice. Then she noticed Sakura backing slowly out of the doorway, apparently terrified.

"Sir, Sakura-san is a highly trained professional, the highest in her class. Getting rid of her would—"

"Arisa-san, don't," Sakura cut her off, looking over her shoulder. "Just let me deal with this." She turned back to Kiba. "But she's right, Kiba. I'm one of the highest-level medic-nin within this facility. If you get rid of me—"

"Then find another one." His voice had lowered now as Sakura was standing outside in the hall. "If I ever see you so much as look at Hinata again, I swear I will—"

"Kiba-kun!" He turned at the sound of the voice. "Kiba-kun, please... please, stop..." It was Hinata. The terror in her eyes, however, alarmed him instantly.

"Hinata, I—"

"Just go, Kiba-kun," she pleaded, frowning pathetically. "I don't want to see you like this..." He opened his mouth to argue, but it clapped shut. Glaring with a deep hurt, Kiba strode purposefully out of the room, medic-nin pressing to the walls to keep out of his way. That was fine, he would have left anyways. He had a debt to settle for Hinata. As Kiba exited the hospital, the corners of his lips pulled taught, yet curved at the ends. That bastard had taken her heart... Well, there would be blood to pay. If she wouldn't love him, fine. He would destroy what she loved most.

**Well, hopefully you enjoyed the new chapter :) Please let me know what you think by reviewing––– it really does mean a lot to me! I have a little done already on the next chapter, so hopefully I'll be able to post it soon. Until next time Labbess **


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I'm so thrilled that so many of you loved the last chapter! Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews; I will try my best to be worthy of all the compliments you left. sniff Anyways, enough emotional authoress, right?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I am making no money from this. I don't think I could if I tried **

_"Kurenai-sensei_?_" The weather was beautiful that day, and having little else to persuade them otherwise Team 8 had decided to picnic together. Currently Shino was reading a book on classifying insects whilst Kiba and his puppy played noisily in the field. That left the two kunoichi resting on the blanket, the elder of which now turned to the shy girl._

_"Hm_?_" Kurenai asked, brushing a hand through curly black hair. _

_"U-um, Kurenai-sensei, I was wondering… W-why… why don't we f-fight like other teams_?_" This was met almost instantly by a warm chuckle from the Jounin._

_"Hinata, you're so innocent," she managed at last. "Would you rather us fight_?_" The girl's face became scarlet._

_"Oh_! _N-n-no, of c-course n-not! I j-just thought––– I–I mean, th-things went so sm-moothly a-and––um––I––_!_"_

_"Hinata-chan, careful, you'll wear yourself out," Kurenai laughed softly._

_"Oh, uh… y-yes, s-sorry…" The Hyuuga girl blushed deeper and played nervously with her hands in her lap. _

_"Still…" The older woman tapped her lips with her index finger. "Your question _is_ valid…"_

_"Ah…?"_

_"I got it_!_" Hinata nearly had a heart attack as her teacher exclaimed this suddenly._

_"Wh-wh-what_?_" _

_"The answer. I've got it."_

_"You do_?_" Kurenai nodded and smiled. _

_"The reason we don't fight is because," her smile widened, "we're a _family_."_

_"H…huh_?_" Hinata could feel her face heating up again. To say such a thing_…! _Hinata frowned slightly. But that word… "Family"… She had heard it so much in her lifetime she had come to hate the term. Yet when her teacher said it, it was as if…_

_"Kurenai-sensei, what… what exactly did you mean by that_?_" Hinata ventured timidly. The woman looked at her for a minute, then let her gaze roam over her other two students. _

_"It means that no matter what, we stick by each other. We live for one another, we die for another," she explained with a small smile. Then she turned to Hinata, her crimson eyes growing a little colder and more distant. "And…" Hinata shivered, her sensei's eyes hypnotizing her, yet terrifying her at the same time. _

"_And…_?_" Hinata dared, barely whispering._

"_And… we _kill_ for one another."_

It was then that Hinata woke with a scream from the hospital bed, sweat clinging to her small body. With a shaky sigh, the girl realized she must have drifted off to sleep again after Kiba had left. Kiba… Hinata lay back, squeezing her eyes shut.

_Somebody––anybody_, she prayed quietly, panting from the stress of her dream. _Please…please, stop Kiba-kun…_

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"Kiba," Naruto acknowledged his friend warily, the smile fading from his lips. And still the canine boy refused to speak. This was getting irritating, even for Naruto. It was a weekend, for Kami's sake! Why the hell did Kiba think he had a right to wake him up this early, ask to meet at the Team 8 training grounds, and then just stand around? Naruto had played his practical jokes in his day, but this was just ridiculous!

"Inuzuka, if there's a reason you called me out here this early in the morning… " Naruto yawned. He barely had time to cover his mouth.

"GRUH!" Suddenly Kiba rammed his fist into the blonde boy's stomach, causing him to groan in pain and double over, falling to his knees.

"Wh––what the _hell_!" Naruto spat, choking on vomit that welled up in his throat. Kiba's eyes said it all–– cold, black murderous. He was not playing around, and he was definitely not here to train.

"Kiba!" The said boy was a blur all of a sudden, winding up behind Naruto in a flash. It was not even seconds after he turned that Kiba's punch sent him spiraling into a tree, pain shooting up his side and face as he peeled them off the splintering wood.

"AGH!" Another swift punch forced him into ground, blood spraying from his nostrils. "K–_KIBA_!" This time Naruto caught the punch aimed at his cheek, using his chakra to enhance his strength as he clenched the other boy's fist tightly. Kiba growled and snapped his fanged teeth together loudly, fishing into one of his pockets with his free hand and whipping out shuriken. Naruto had no choice––– it was either let go or be shredded. Kiba sprang backwards, centering his chakra and bounding up a tree, then leaping from branch to branch. Naruto gasped; it was as if Kiba's speed had quadrupled! This was bad. It was time for some drastic measures.

"Kage Bunshin no juts–––ACK!" Naruto barely had time to complete his signature technique as Kiba came up from behind again and sliced him down the middle with a kunai. However, in the next instant there was nothing but smoke. Kiba looked dumbfounded for a moment as he landed out in the open, but dove into the brush almost as soon as he regained his senses. Naruto and his clones did the same in the vast forested area, breathing heavily. He held out a kunai, blade pointed out, squatting on a branch and watching from every direction as he cursed mildly under his breath. Damn. This was _exactly_ like Sasuke! No… There was something about Kiba that made Naruto forbid himself from using Rasengan.

_So this is his plan_, Naruto thought as panic stirred slowly within him. Kiba would hide until Naruto's chakra began to run out, at which point he would need to recall his clones. Then Kiba would be able to pick up the real Naruto's scent and then–– Naruto gulped. The threat of a surprise attack coupled with the boy's unwillingness to attack his friend, however, forced the blonde to keep his clones to confuse the Inuzuka nose.

A scream and then the puff of smoke caught his attention. So he was going on the offensive after all! The boy gripped the kunai handle tighter, and another puff was heard, closer this time. The clones' scents didn't fool him! Naruto racked his brain as to what to do. When he was younger, he might have punched Kiba back immediately, and he still wanted to do it, but his experience was teaching him that waiting could also be an option. This… this _person _was not the Kiba he had grown up with. That Kiba, even when angry, would at least throw sharp insults in Naruto's direction. But this shinobi was silent. It was the silence that made Naruto panic. That silence in his eyes that spoke not of hurt or anger or even bloodlust, but simply… hate. Suddenly Naruto whipped around.

"Kiba!" But it was too late. Kiba landed in front of him in the perfect position to aim a fatal blow, kunai clenched tightly in his hand, aiming right for his–––

"Gyuh!" Without warning a large white shape came barreling out of the leaves, knocking Kiba off the branch and into the air. The Inuzuka boy landed on the ground roughly, but on his feet nevertheless. He snapped around to slash whatever had dared to get in his way, but stopped, unable to move.

"Kiba…?" Naruto landed at the base of the tree, still leaving enough room for an exit should he need it. But he wouldn't. As the blonde boy followed the other shinobi's glance, he saw a giant white dog growling fiercely, the hair on his back raised in warning. Was that–––?

"Akamaru!" Kiba shouted, his face contorting into a stunned grimace. "What the hell do you think you're _doing_?" The white dog barked something sharply, standing his ground.

"What!" Akamaru continued to bark, shaking his massive head. Kiba grit his teeth, glancing at Naruto with a dark glare, then back at his dog. "Damn it, this is none of your _business_, Akamaru!" The dog growled, baring his teeth and stomping the ground with his forepaw, tail swishing violently. His brow furrowed as he remembered the task he had been given.

_"Akamaru-kun, you have to stop him. You… you can't let him kill Naruto-kun_! _If he does, then… Then there's no way we can protect him_! _Please… Stop Kiba-kun… before it's too late_._"_

Now Akamaru stood in front of Naruto defensively, snapping at his master, his heart thudding painfully every time. It was like… like betrayal! And yet, he knew that somehow he was doing the right thing.

"Get out of here, Akamaru!" Kiba roared, his anger building. "GET OUT OF HERE!" But there was a change in his eyes. They began to grow softer, blurrier, more… Naruto, who had been standing there trying to piece together what was going on, took a sharp intake of breath. Was he… crying?

"AKAMARU! GET OUT OF HERE!" Kiba yelled, gritting his teeth tighter together. "I can't–––Just get out of here!"

"Kiba!" The brown-haired boy's gaze riveted to the other shinobi who he had forgotten about in his anguish. Naruto almost wanted to sigh with relief then, but kept it down. His eyes… They had lost the hate in them. Now only a flicker of what had been there remained.

"Kiba, I don't know what's going on," Naruto continued, frowning. "But I'm your _friend_, damn it!" He nodded at Akamaru. "_We're _your friends. Whatever's going on, I'm sorry, but you can't allow yourself to get like this!"

"Shut up, Naruto!" Kiba yelled back bitterly. He had always hated the speeches Naruto had a habit of giving, and now was no exception. "You don't understand! You just _don't understand_!" His eyes turned colder. "I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HER!!!" He made a move to rush at the boy, but Akamaru leapt into his way, snarling wildly and blocking his path once more.

"What? What I did to _who_?" Naruto insisted as Kiba stood there. "Kiba, this isn't like you!"

"And just what the hell do you know about me!" Kiba snapped.

"I know enough!" Naruto yelled back. "I know that you're stupid and have a big mouth and you're an arrogant bastard––!" Naruto stopped, his frown softening as he seemed to recollect something. "But… that you also protect the people you care about, no matter what. And when something's bothering you, you speak your mind––– _always_––– unless it's someone you care about, because you don't want them to worry." Naruto took a breath, watching his companion carefully. _She said those things…She said so much about you, Kiba… If only you knew…_

"Naruto…" Kiba's hands were shaking, his scowl diminishing slowly. "You… You just don't understand what it's like..." Akamaru whimpered as his master, now looking more tired and heartbroken than anything, slumped to the forest floor.

"I would if you would just _tell_ me," Naruto insisted.

"No!" Kiba yelled, pounding the dirt with his fist. "You can't understand! You could never, never understand!" His eyes were gleaming, breath coming in pants now. "She… I almost _lost_ her, Naruto! She was going to die––– because of _you_!" He paused, biting his lip and closing his eyes, his voice softer. "Because of me… because I couldn't save her. I love her, Naruto, and… and I can't _do_ anything to help her, damn it! I'm _useless _to the girl I love. I just… I don't know what to do…"

"It's the worst pain in the world, isn't it?" Kiba looked up, stray tears making their way down his cheeks.

"What?" Naruto smiled sadly.

"I know what that's like, Kiba. Every day I would wake up thinking, 'If only I had fought a little harder, he might have…'" Naruto shook his head. "And every day I watched her build up her physical strength to unheard of levels, and I knew that if she didn't continue to push herself, she would fall apart… because that's how much it tore at her. Kiba, it was months before I found out she was… she was _cutting_. She was frickin' cutting herself to get rid of the pain!" The blonde boy was trying not to cry as images of the ugly scars on his loved one's wrists appeared in his mind. "And what could I do? I could do _nothing_." Kiba's eyes widened slowly, understanding. "All I could do was continue to love her. That's all we _can_ do, Kiba––– love them, because that's what they want: unconditional love." Akamaru whined then, apparently supporting what Naruto had said. It took Kiba a moment, but he sighed shakily, getting to his feet. Then he threw his kunai to the side so that it stuck in a tree a good way off. Naruto smiled slightly.

"I think you should tell her, Kiba," he said, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. Neither had realized how they had slowly been coming closer to one another.

"I can't…" Kiba whispered. "I…"

"What, you're afraid of _rejection_?" Naruto teased slightly. Kiba blinked, remembering just who he was talking to. Chances were Hinata was _not_ going to punch him into a wall for confessing to her.

"I'm sorry…" Kiba managed at last. "I was… I–––"

"It's fine," Naruto cut him off. "I know–––I've been there. But she _won't _know unless you tell her, Kiba."

"Right..." Kiba paused for a minute, then looked down. "By the way, I… kinda yelled at your girlfriend." Naruto grinned widely then, almost laughing.

"Eh, that's okay. If she didn't kick your ass, then you're probably all right." He shrugged. "Besides, that makes us even, right?"

"You wish," Kiba mumbled, but a slight smirk played at the corners of his lips. He just felt relieved knowing that there was someone else out there who felt his pain, that he wasn't alone after all. Now all he had to do was show Hinata the same thing. Then a thought occurred to him.

"Naruto…" The blonde looked back.

"Yeah?"

"How… did you know who I was talking about?" Naruto shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"You think you're so much more subtle than I am," he said finally. "But let me tell you, Hinata's known for a _long_ time."

"But I didn't–––"

"Just go tell her already, will you?" Naruto exclaimed in mock annoyance. Kiba nodded seriously. He just hoped he had enough courage to pull it off.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Wow. I am always blown away by the feedback I get for this story. I cannot thank you enough and most humbly ask that you continue to send me awesome reviews Also, this is the last chapter guys! Sorry! I hope you still enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it, however.

**Disclaimer: I don't really want to own Naruto. Think of all those ramen bills…**

Neji awoke with a start, his shinobi intuition alerting him instantly that something wasn't right. He was correct. The phone was ringing insistently, its high-pitched wailing making his skin crawl as he managed to blindly come to his senses.

"…hello?" the boy muttered groggily. Even though it wasn't his phone he had answered it by habit and pure assumption of it being okay anyways. The next moment he was sitting up in the bed, fingering through his now askew brown locks and frowning darkly.

"How did you get this number?" It apparently didn't matter what phone he was near these days. His frown deepened as the question was avoided on the other end, instead moving on to the heart of the matter. But Neji wasn't going to let this go that easily.

"No, you listen to_me_: you are not to call this number again. Ever. I don't_care_ if there's an emergency, you are not to––– Good." Satisfied, the Hyuuga clan leader let the speaker continue.

"We're going to do what? But I thought that Hinata-sama… Yes, I realize that, but… Then get someone else to do it, damn it! I thought I made it perfectly clear I was _not_ to be disturbed!" With an angry slam Neji hung up and sat there, eyes glowering a fierce frigidity at nothing in particular. He was furious, to say the least.

"Mmmnnn…" His eyes slid to the corners as he observed the woman at his side blink sleepily at him, yawn, then stretch widely.

"Neji…" she murmured at last, rubbing her eyes. "Who… who was that?" His heart softened as he took in the girl's tired, beautiful form, remembering his one source of true happiness. His gaze relaxed slightly.

"It was the Main House," he sighed, stroking her hair tenderly.

"Oh…" she nodded sympathetically. "What did they want this time?" Neji shook his head, as if repeating it would make the already foolish idea any more so.

"It doesn't matter."

"You have to go, then," the girl deduced, her eyes dropping to the wrinkled sheets.

"No, I don't." Her soft eyes gazed up at him hopefully, longingly, but she smiled sadly as she sat up.

"No, Neji. You have to go. I won't let you use me as an excuse to run away." He knew she was right. Silently he picked up his robe from the floor and shrugged it on, the loose white folds draping elegantly. When he was done, the Hyuuga male hesitated only a moment before bending down and brushing his lips against the woman's forehead, breathing in her scent.

"Neji…" She sounded worried, knowing that his tenderness was due to extreme inner turmoil. His pale eyes met hers. "Just… just take care of yourself."

"I know." He got up and headed for the door, but stopped when he reached it, leaning against the wooden frame.

"Would you…?" He began, then sighed and tried again. "Would you mind very much if I destroyed someone else's happiness for the sake of our own?" The question took the woman aback, and she had to blink several times before she could finally begin to consider the question.

"Neji, what are you going to–––?"

"Please," he insisted. The female fell silent as she reflected deeply on the question. Finally, she answered.

"I don't think I could ever live with knowing I'd ruined someone else's chances of happiness for my own," she answered carefully. "But I know I could never die knowing I could never be with you." This reply seemed to satisfy the Hyuuga, who smiled softly.

"In that case, we'll be getting married sooner than you think."

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Loneliness. She could feel herself slipping again, edging towards the black abyss of isolation. Hinata gulped and sighed, squeezing her eyes closed against the glaring light of the hospital room. Light, light, too much light. What she felt was the darkness inside of her growing, bubbling thickly like acid through her insides. She needed help.

It was the same feeling. This loneliness was what had driven her off the brink of life in the first place, and now it had come back full force. She felt she would be swallowed whole. Oh, Kami, no.

Nobody cared. Sure, she had heard that she was cute and several people had reached out to her, but their grasp was hollow delusion. She was alone. Cold, dark, alone. Useless, discarded, alone. She twisted on the white hospital bed, feebly trying to get up. She managed a few inches before collapsing into a gasping heap. Pain, oh pain. It was so agonizing she couldn't scream, so deeply rooted she could no longer hope to rid herself of it. Hope… Where did it go, so lost in this dark?

"Kiba-kun." She said it slowly, a gentle whisper, a prayer. He had cared. No matter what she could say of other people, he had stayed by her bedside, he had saved her, he had _needed_ her. She wasn't useless. She was needed. And yet every time the loving words were played in her head she felt a fresh stab of guilt. She could not answer the promise she had seen in his eyes. She wanted to, so badly, but… But what? Pain was blurring memory and nightmare together; she couldn't think, just feel and fear. What was Naruto-kun, that fallen angel that had taken her light, what did he mean to her now? He was what sent her world crashing down. She wanted to cry, but could find no tears. She felt that she had lost her heart.

"Stay here, Akamaru." Suddenly Hinata's eyes shot open, her pulse racing against her skin. The door opened a crack hesitantly, a boyish face peeking from behind it. When he saw that she was awake, he looked relieved.

"Kiba-kun." Hinata began to smile, but then blushed slightly, her face falling. She had almost forgotten what had happened earlier. She closed her eyes again.

"Kiba-kun, I… I'm sorry for what I said to you. I just–––" There were flowers in front of her eyes. "Ah?" She didn't understand.

"I stopped by Ino's on the way here…" Kiba was explaining sheepishly. All trace of the wild person he had been earlier seemed to have disappeared completely for the time being. "I just… I'm the one who should be sorry." Gently he placed the blooms in a vase by the bed, taking pains on the flowers in place of standing there dumbly, his heart raw and bare. What could he say to her? "I'm sorry, this is dumb on my part…"

"Kiba-kun…" Hinata whispered, frowning, looking away. Every inch of guilt he showed increased dramatically within her. "All I've done is cause trouble for so many people. My life… my life is a mess. I… I should have never tried to run away, but I… Kiba-kun… I'm so sorry for what I've done to you…"

"Shh, shh, it's okay…" Kiba was at her side instantly, placing a comforting arm around her shoulder. He was exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, and yet he couldn't stand to see her in the slightest bit of discomfort.

"It's not okay," Hinata protested feebly. "I wanted to change! I wanted to be strong. I… I broke down… Oh, Kiba-kun, what do I do now?" She turned to gaze into his eyes, but that was a big mistake. Etched in every fiber of his body was a self-restraint so painful he was shaking slightly. He looked away, and Hinata's eyes clouded over. What was she thinking, doing this to him? She was just as bad, no, worse than the fallen angel who had shattered her heart, her very existence. And here she was denying the one true friend she had ever had, her howling guardian angel. She softly, slowly reached out a trembling hand and stroked his hair, the soft feel of the brown locks like an animal's fur. Involuntarily he responded to the tender caress, moving his face into her sweet little palm. Such a light touch, and yet it was already consuming his entire being. But he held back, ignoring the excruciating jerk of his heart against his ribcage.

"I'm sorry… but we can't be friends anymore," he murmured at last, his breath on her palm as he kissed it lightly. "I love you, Hinata. I can't help it. I'll protect you forever, even when they try to kill me. I won't let you go." He emphasized this with a soft squeeze of her hand. And then there were his eyes. Calm, pained, yet undoubtedly submissive. She didn't deserve this, any of it. "Oh, Kiba-kun," she wanted to say desperately. "Find someone else to love. Love someone pure. Find another dream to chase." Hinata's lip trembled. And yet, he was the last person she had, the only one she had left to please.

"Kiba-kun…" she murmured, carefully, slowly tugging his face towards her. His eyes widened and he resisted immediately.

"Hinata, you don't have to–––"

"I want to make you happy, Kiba-kun," she admitted. "Please…"He watched her for a second, his gaze scrutinizing her every move, still uncertain. But his nature got the better of him and his restraint slipped.

"Mmn!" She hadn't expected him to react so fast. One moment he was staring at her tamely and the next his lips were pressed firmly against hers, a kiss that instantly knocked the wind out of her. Sweet, gentle, yet slowly growing more passionate and urgent as he began to give into his greater need. Yet even then he was holding himself away, being sure not to crush her with the extent of his large frame. Ah, everything was lips and warmth. She felt her eyes flutter close, her breath long gone, felt herself bend into him as if all her life she had been waiting for this one special union between her and this boy. Life! Oh, why had she wanted to take her life when life was so _wonderful_ as the kiss of a boy in love? Everything, everything was perfect, was light, was warmth, was bliss––– and yet…

The second the pressure of her lips lightened Kiba tore himself away. His sensitivity to her was acute and startled the girl a little. But he had always been that way, just subtly, she supposed. Now he was looking at her hard with a distinct fear and shame that she knew could only have been caused by her.

"I'm sorry," she repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. "You're… you're just…"

"I'm not him," he sighed, as he slid to the floor, head tilted back in defeat. "Yeah. I should've known better."

"Oh, but–––!" She felt horrible, going back and forth like this. She was an awful person. "I want to love you, I do, Kiba-kun you have no idea how much I–––"

"Hinata," he cut her off, his smile tired and patient. "Don't force yourself for my sake. Okay?"

"But I–––"

"You're exhausted and still in pain. We can talk about it another time. I just… I just wanted you to know how I felt." A thought occurred to him as he glanced towards the door, his face downcast. "I shouldn't be here." He made a move to leave, but Hinata wasn't ready for him to go just yet.

"Ah, Kiba-kun?" She ventured, causing him to falter in his path.

"Yeah?"

"Just… just give me time. I just need some time…" Her look was one of beseeching. He grinned, using all his strength just to reassure her.

"Don't worry about it. I told you I'd be here forever, and I intend to stick by that. Plus I've got a pretty sweet kiss to stay with me for a while, so I'm all good." He opened the door then, but before departing added, "I mean it, Hinata. I love you. And I always will." And with that, Hinata found herself alone again. But this time, this time she had hope for her future. All she needed was a little time. But Fate had other plans.

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Epilogue

"You're thinking about him," Aburame Shino observed solemnly from his post by the bench in the cool stone building. Hinata jumped visibly as he intruded her thoughts, her face glowing red in embarrassment. How easily her friend could read her after all these years. All these years…

"Hinata?" Shino persisted, his voice echoing quietly on the gray hewn rock. Hinata twisted her pale hands in her lap, the cold, damp building making her shiver in so many ways.

"Yes," she responded finally, sweeping a lock of deep violet from her temple. "I am." It had been five years, five long years since that dreadful night, the night of dark, the night that Hinata had stood boldly on the threshold of life and leapt over the edge without a backwards glance. She could still see the shining white of the hospital room, inhale the stingingly sanitary smell. She actually still had recurring nightmares about that time occasionally, though she shared this information with no one.

Suppressing a sigh, the Hyuuga woman turned to look beyond the cobweb-frosted glass to the bleak land outside. Even the sky was grey and heavy with clouds, although they much needed the rain in the recent drought. Impatiently Hinata squirmed, constantly smoothing and re-smoothing the cream dress around her knees.

Her cousin, who was now the official Hyuuga clan leader, had received his title back then with little, if any, confrontation. Although Hinata had tried to use her power as the figurehead to keep her clan at bay, they had outsmarted her by declaring Neji leader, effectively making her order null and void. She shuddered to remember how her family had reacted to the news of her attempted suicide, how the matter of what to do with her life had then been debated relentlessly for days on end. At last, however, a conclusion was reached: because Hinata no longer held any power she was to save face by marrying into another good portion of the family at the standard age of twenty-one. But as the date had neared, however, Neji had decided that it was best if he himself took Hinata as his wife; the girl had had very few suitors and Neji had already taken to protecting the Hyuuga princess anyway.

This was where Hinata found herself at this moment, wringing her hands and fidgeting nervously, trying to imagine matrimony with Neji. Marriage. The word was so final, and yet she had little say in this life-changing event. The woman knew well that trying to divorce someone in Konoha was an utter social taboo. Hinata considered briefly how this day, her marriage, was not so unlike the suicide she had tried to commit all those years ago. Decisive. Absolute. Irrevocable. Only back then she'd had some say in her actions. At least the Hyuuga elders would be pleased.

"He's here." Hinata glanced towards the large wooden doors at the end of the hallway that connected to their little waiting room. Goosebumps dotted her arms and her heartbeat accelerated to a point where she was certain it was audible. She was deeply grateful that Shino was there as a witness; otherwise she might have passed out from nervousness as she used to do when she was twelve. Noises on the other side of the doors could be heard. Now they were creaking open, and now she was breathing fast, reality once more rudely making itself present. She gulped hard.

He looked staggeringly handsome as he walked down the hall, his companion sniffing noisily but showing delight nonetheless behind him. Hinata almost forgot to breathe in that moment; she had never seen anything so gorgeous in all her life. And they were getting married.

"You look…" His reaction mirrored hers as he stopped in front of her bench. He floundered for a moment at his loss of words, but finally was able to come up with one: "…beautiful." Instantly her face blushed deep pink.

"Thank you," she responded quietly, her glance directed to the floor. She could hear the smirk before she saw it.

"Why the formality?" She looked up again, smiling self-consciously.

"I'm sorry, I just…" What could she say? What words were there to describe this feeling that welled up from the pit of her stomach and wrenched her heart tightly? "I… That is…" She stood then, accepting his hand as he helped her up. "Well, you see…"

"What is it?" he pushed, shaking his head at her adorable awkwardness. And suddenly, everything was all right.

"I love you, Kiba-kun!" She cried, embracing him tightly. "I do, with all my heart! I love you! I love you! I love you!" Those words, those three simple words that had been so hard to understand so long ago now came to her as easily as living itself. Kiba laughed, hugging her back tightly.

"I know," he smiled at last, bending down to kiss her hair. "That's why I'm here. In a tux, no less."

"It's bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony," Shino suddenly observed quietly, making the couple jump. Akamaru whined from beside him.

"Yeah, yeah. You and your superstitions," Kiba snorted at his friends. "I'll remember that the next time I get married, okay?" Always the cocky jokester, of course. And yet… Hinata grinned softly. And yet, here they were.

All, of course, was not what it seemed. Even though the council of elders had blessed the union of a Branch House member and a Main House member, marrying outside the family was still banned. Enter the genius of Hyuuga Neji. In order to mask his true intent, Neji had ordered that he and Hinata be given a private ceremony for her sake before appearing before the clan.

Now they stood on the threshold of solidifying the first double outsider wedding in the history of the Hyuuga clan, a step that might jeopardize Neji's rule as leader and firmly sever Hinata's connection to the family and the privileges she had as a result of being a Hyuuga. But in spite of these daunting consequences, neither Hyuuga was willing to back away from their partner and future spouse.

"The ceremony will start soon," Shino warned, adjusting his sunglasses slightly. Kiba looked alarmed for a moment.

"So where's Neji and–––?"

"They're in the next room, waiting for us," Hinata answered.

"And we were waiting for _you_," Shino added with slight annoyance. Kiba rolled his eyes.

"Look, next time I won't see the bride before the ceremony and I'll be extra early, just for you. Is that good?" Shino sighed and shook his head at his friend's immaturity. Akamaru barked eagerly. Kiba turned to Hinata, gripping her hand softly as they approached the doors to the next room.

"You ready for this?" he asked, searching her features for some sign of doubt. "Because, y'know, if you don't want to go through with this I could–––"

"Kiba-kun!" Hinata insisted, frowning slightly. "I _love_ you. Yes, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Yes, I know what I'm getting into. No, it won't be easy, but I'm determined." She paused and looked at him meekly as a thought came to her. "And you? Do you… still want to go through with the marriage?" Kiba's face broke into his trademark fangy grin.

"Hinata, I've been waiting my whole life for this moment."

"Then I suggest you hurry," Shino muttered from behind them unexpectedly.

"All right, all right, I'm _going_ already!" Kiba replied, rolling his eyes again. "Don't get your sunglasses in a knot." And with that he pushed the doors to their future wide open.

Hinata had never felt purer than in that moment, in that dank, hidden building during an overcast day. As she walked down the aisle, she could feel the last remnants of the haunting darkness in her soul dissolve into clean, sweet light, the light she had been craving for so long. Somehow she knew she would never have her recurring nightmares ever again, and somehow, holding onto the hand of her future husband, the man she loved more than anything in the world, somehow she knew that the darkness was gone forever.

She had found her release.

**Thank you, everyone who supported me in this fic and gave me feedback. I guess I fooled you a bit there in the end, though, didn't I? Oh, well. It ended happily for Kiba and Hinata, and for me as well! I'm so sad that I have to finish "Release" up, but I'm glad that I can move on now. Again, thank you so much for your support and don't forget to review! 3 Labbess**

**P.S. About Neji's lover; I had a hard time deciding between Tenten, Ino, or some unknown girl. Finally, I just left the name out and made the description vague, so essentially she's whoever you think should end up with him **


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